Urges Cooperation To Improve Safety

October 16, 1997|By Marjorie S. Wilder West Hartford The writer is Corporation Counsel for the town of West Hartford.

I am writing because a grave injustice has occurred. In an effort to inform readers (for the second time) about the settlement of lawsuits by two plaintiffs involved in the terrible accident with a refuse truck owned and operated by Sanitary Services Corp., The Courant conveyed factually inaccurate information in an Oct. 1, 1997, article. It serves no purpose to correct all the inaccuracies or to speculate as to who was at fault, especially since the plaintiffs and the defendants chose to settle their dispute without the benefit of a jury deciding, based on all the facts.

What is unfortunate about the inaccuracies in The Courant article is that one of the lessons to be learned from the tragic accident will forever be lost. I had the occasion to see the chalk outlines of the stricken women on the road. I had the opportunity to review the detailed police report. I reviewed the sworn statements of one of the plaintiffs, witnesses and others. I saw a sketch of the area of the accident site prepared by one of the plaintiff's experts. Though reported otherwise by The Courant, the accident occurred when two fine women were walking in the street right next to a perfectly open, unobstructed sidewalk where no construction was taking place and across the street from a similarly unobstructed sidewalk.

I am writing to correct only this factual error because since that fateful day when I viewed the accident scene, I have noticed many people, including some pushing children in strollers, walking, jogging and skating in the road at all hours of the day and night and in all weather conditions when there was available a perfectly good sidewalk for their use. I am not suggesting what caused the horrible accident June 5, 1995, but I am urging that pedestrians be more conscious of the risks of being in the street, especially when sidewalk alternatives are readily available.

Pedestrians and drivers need to work together to improve safety for all. I urge drivers to follow the rules of the road and I urge pedestrians to do the same, including using available sidewalks.